New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin did not mince words Monday when he sent a blistering letter to State Senator James Beach, accusing him of violating both state and federal constitutions during a heated New Jersey Senate hearing last week.
The letter, obtained by New Jersey Globe, calls out Beach for discriminating against speakers based on their viewpoints and silencing healthy and open debate regarding a controversial bill.
The hearing, which debated a proposal to strip the state comptroller of key powers, turned into tense ideological showdown. Senator Andy Kim, who was elected to the U.S. Senate last November, waited hours to testify, while supporters of the bill were allowed lengthy speaking time with little pushback.
According to Platkin, Beach applied rules inconsistently, timed speakers unfairly and even delivered personal attacks.
“You’re not special,” Beach reportedly told Kim when the senator raised concerns about missing votes due to the long wait. Platkin’s letter warns that such conduct “plainly discriminated based on viewpoint” and undermines open debate, an essential piece of democracy.
Platkin’s office has reserved all rights and requested the letter be entered into the official hearing record, signaling that this conflict could be far from over.
Platkin’s tenure as Attorney General comes to an end along with Murphy’s term in January. Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill has yet to pick a replacement, but is reportedly growing closer to naming a successor. The Congresswoman could keep Platkin as AG for her administration; however, there are no signs that she plans to as of right now.
Until then, the feud between Beach and high-profile officials like Kim and Platkin has garnered nationwide attention.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.